Heat announce partnership with Houston Dynamo

The Laredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy will hold a “Player Opportunity” showcase for its U12, U14 and U16 boys’ teams April 7 at TAMIU as part of its new non-pay to play competitive program.

Photo: Cuate Santos /Laredo Morning Times

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Laredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy President Shashi Vaswani shakes hands with James Clarkson, MLS Houston Dynamo Youth Academy President after signing a partnership agreement between the MLS HoustonLaredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy President Shashi Vaswani shakes hands with James Clarkson, MLS Houston Dynamo Youth Academy President after signing a partnership agreement between the MLS Houston Dynamo Youth and the Laredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy at a press conference Wednesday, February 7, 2018, at La Quinta on Loop 20. Laredo Heat Youth Academy Player Liaison Edith Ortiz and Academy Vice-President Priya Vaswani look on.

Photo: Cuate Santos /Laredo Morning Times

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Laredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy Vice-President and President Priya and Shashi Vaswani look on as James Clarkson, MLS Houston of the Dynamo Youth Academy, signs the partnership agreement between theLaredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy Vice-President and President Priya and Shashi Vaswani look on as James Clarkson, MLS Houston of the Dynamo Youth Academy, signs the partnership agreement between the Dynamo Youth and the Laredo Heat Youth Soccer Club and Academy.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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The new Houston Dynamo Academy patch that will be on Heat Youth jerseys.

The Laredo Heat on Wednesday announced a partnership with Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.

The Heat Youth Soccer Club and the Dynamo Youth Academy have come to terms on an agreement where the MLS franchise will use the Heat as a pilot team — a talent resource to help identify promising players for the Dynamo senior team in years to come.

The partnership marks the Heat youth’s first-ever affiliation with a professional team. The agreement will benefit all Heat youth teams but will initially begin with the U12, U13 and U14/15 boys’ teams.

“Our area is very competitive when it comes to soccer when we go out to play, but we haven’t had that exposure quite yet,” Heat general manager J.J. Vela said. “This partnership with the Dynamo of Major League Soccer will give us, give the kids the opportunity to go out there and give it their best shot.”

As part of the agreement, the Dynamo will help Laredo Heat coaches to develop a yearly training plan for their teams. Once every three months, for three days, a Dynamo representative will come to Laredo to educate the Heat youth coaches.

What the partnership means for the Heat youth: the potential for scouts at their games. The Dynamo will send scouts, when appropriate, to Heat games to recruit talented players for its academy teams.

Heat youth jerseys will now be sporting a Houston Dynamo Academy patch on their left sleeve.

“We’re going to do our best effort to convince the parents of the players that, ultimately, our goal is to get some of these kids to play with the Houston Dynamo and move on from (Laredo),” Vela said.

The positive impact of the partnership has the potential to stretch far beyond the pitch.

According to city councilwoman Nelly Vielma, who attended Wednesday’s press conference, Laredo’s poverty rate is about 33 percent. A clearer avenue toward soccer success emerges for local kids with potential. In the Heat’s U12 through U15 age groups, the teams will play in a “non-pay to play” program — a major benefit for financially-burdened families.

“This is really going to open up a lot of doors and opportunities for our youth,” Vielma said.

The goal is that even if kids through the new partnership don’t go pro, they can get a good education through soccer and set the precedent for future generations of Laredo youth.

“Ideally, the goal is to eventually find a player in Laredo that can become a professional soccer player, but that’s not what our drawing force behind this is,” said James Clarkson, Director of Player of Development for the Dynamo Youth Academy. “Soccer is just the vehicle that we can use to have an impact on the youth of Laredo. If we can impact them, through sport or education or keep them out of trouble, then I think we’re doing a fantastic job.”

The Heat Youth Soccer Club will be holding city-wide tryouts for its U12 through U14/15 teams on April 7.